BEAN EATS

Thursday, February 12, 2015

Thought it was about time to post about my amazing trip to Myanmar (Yangon and Bagan) that I took in October. I went with my good friend Saxon, also a food enthusiast and a very chill approach to travel like me! (no rush, explore what you want to explore). This meant taking in a lot of local food places to enjoy the complex local flavors and avoid most of the high price tourist places. As I've said before, the small, local, non-fussy places have always proved to be the most delicious food. Just follow the local brick road. *guilty all of these photos are from my phone, alas haven't transfered my camera photos onto my comp*

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Received Yotam Ottolenghi's beautiful cookbook, Jerusalem, for my birthday that was earlier this month. I've always loved middle eastern cuisine so I was excited to get cooking! These recipes are bursting with flavors such as from cumin, chili, arak, and more...and some of the complex flavor combinations as my friend pointed out, are indeed restaurant-level, though preparation is simple enough and doable for any foodie.

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

So I just did a 2 week detox! In the winter
I fell into a seriously lazy winter cave and pretty much stopped working out,
oops. I was still eating healthy but too much wheat and noodles (I could eat my
weight in noodles). To me detox is mostly for behavioral change and setting you on a right track – not to starve yourself or just drink
juice for 7 days (I need to chew things). I would say the no coffee was hard! In retrospect since I usually just drink one cup a day, you could keep it in.I’d really recommend it - kick start a healthylifestyle! Don't wait, just go shopping for tons of vegetables and fruit and do it! You'll feel really good.

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Morocco is one of my favorite places in the world. It is gorgeous, the people are lovely and warm and there is something intriguing about desert life. I love the Moroccan style houses with their colorful woven rugs and ornate tile designs, yet it has a simplicity about it that's very calming.

I was lucky to visit twice, to enjoy the souks in Marrakesh and get lost in the streets of Fez - and the second time slept in the desert and I watched the sun rise slowly over the sand dunes, the sun's rays spreading out, hitting the dunes and turning the sand a bright, deep golden color. Honestly it was one of the most beautiful things I've seen. And the best part was that I shared it with my sisters :)

Saturday, November 23, 2013

Hello! I stopped blogging for a while there: busy with a new job, moved apartments... now I'm settled, still cooking, and want to revive this blog again! My flatmate and good friend Lauren is also a fabulous cook, so I've loved being able to cook together and for more people.I've been very into baking tarts recently. Especially when you buy pastry sheets (or puff pastry) it is so easy! Tarts look beautiful and you can impress your friends with little work and delicious results. It's also a time to get creative, just think of all the options between sweet and savory ones. I enjoy a tart paired with a soup in the autumn and winter time for a cozy meal.

Sunday, April 14, 2013

This is the most perfect banana bread and that's all I can say. It's the perfect intersection of bread/cake, moist, and the right amount of banana-ness. You'll have to try it yourself to see what I mean. This recipe was given to me from one of my nearest and dearest friends, Maja, which makes it more special. Maja is a great cook and in college we use to stay up studying in her cozy apartment and many times that would include Maja whipping up late night snacks like Thai chicken soup and/or baking something like this bread. OK, I'm talking to her as I write this and she just told me that it is a James Beard recipe...but to me it will always be Maja's banana bread, hence the title I used. The original recipe adds walnuts, but I prefer mine without. Last time I had some almond slices so I decided to sprinkle some on the top and it was lovely. So in my opinion, and in Maja's words, here is the greatest banana bread:

Hi I'm Sabrina, better known as Bean! I'm an American environmentalist, traveler, and foodie living in Hamburg. I believe food brings people together. I'm bringing you eats from my travels and my expat kitchen.